Comments: Helen

Week 2 Reading: Chapters 1-4 (WK2BLG1)

Credit: Notebook Gallery Software (SmartNotebook)

This week in my MAC course I have finished reading chapters 1-4 in The Art of Possibility and WOW what a STRONG and uplifting book. It was nice to first view the video from TED because it really set the mood for the book before I started reading it.  Benjamin Zander is such a strong speaker and is so methodical with his speech and writing. Both Zander’s are filled with such strong stories and examples and reflections for me as a reader that I found myself rereading each of their stories multiple times.

The chapter this week that hit me the hardest was “Giving an A”. It was such a power chapters filled with uplifting stories that constantly kept making me reflect upon my daily life as a daughter, wife, educator, and all around person.  Reading these stories that Roz and Ben had to share about their lives and experiences really made me think about what I was doing towards and with others within my life. Many times we by human nature judge things before giving others the chance to prove themselves and we need to watch these barriers we put up. We need to allow the creativity flow and allow people to make their mistakes and make their judgments but ensure that we are allowing them and giving them the A they deserve.  When I first started reading the chapter I thought it had to do with standards and I couldn’t warp my brain around giving all students an A…because I kept thinking…what do they have to work for or towards then…their motivational levels fall and their thought on doing their best does as well…but it wasn’t about standards and giving the A so that something was completed but allowing our learners and peers in our lives to live up to their potential and allowing them to be passionate and share their experiences with others. I was moved through these stories and examples in this chapter and I know this sounds nerdy…but cannot wait to finish this book to reread this chapter again. I already have it bookmarked to read in the months of January-February…the time of the year when our students and teachers, myself guilty of, fall into the winter blues and hopefully this will make me become more passionate and drive my students in their learning when I ‘Give them an A’.

I really want my students and peers and myself to really reflect daily on what steps have I taken that make a difference…good or bad…We all need this opportunity in our lives to be given an A by ourselves or others. Being an educator we need to open our students eyes to see what they CAN do and what they are possible of achieving...allowing them to push themselves and be passionate about the things around them and share it. We need to change our world of learning into being able to look deeper than skin deep.

Source:
Zander, B. & Zander, R. (2000). The Art of Possibility. Boston, MA:Harvard Business School Press
TED Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/286

My Comments:
Helen,
I have enjoyed your take on what you read. It seems like the "Giving an A" chapter really hit home for a lot of us. Giving ourselves an A makes us want to step up our game and not lower our standards. Sometimes what we call our best really isn't our best and giving ourselves an A can help us live up to our full potential.

I often ask my students, what do you think this class requires of you for you to make an A? Some of our students do feel that their presence is merely enough and some know that it takes more work than they think. Some of my students viewed Music class as another recreation but I had to show them that there was still a lot that was left for them to learn. Not even I know everything that's why everyday is a learning process.

Thanks for sharing some of your knowledge!!